All-Star How Do You Cope With Nerves?

[WHOAitsjesss]

ahhh im always a nervous mess before competitions. ive learned that if i put on my favorite music and just picture the feeling you get after hitting a perfect routine, it gives you good vibes. you cant think negitive at all. that just ruines your mojo :shaka:

 

[Mcfierceburger]

I love the nerves, its one of the most memorable parts of your competition. It forces you to think, to focus and to just go with it.

 

[melisssaacheerfreakk]

I have really bad anxiety before we go on. I threw up once and I always feel like I'm going to. What helps me is what other people said, to take really deep breaths. I can't stand by anyone on my team who is nervous or that just makes it worse. Really just try to get yourself pumped up before you go on.

 

[auscheerflyer]

WOW thank you all SO much for sharing your stories, it is really helpful to hear... and comforting to know that other people share the same anxiety before performing :)

I chatted with my partner and we both agree that we are more the 'calm down and deep breathes' before we perform type of people rather than the 'listen to music and pump ourselves up'... so it's interesting to see how completely different things work for us.

We have also had a few extra practices, and added in more time between skills to just breathe and set up properly for the next stunt. We have also tried to practice for the 'if something goes wrong' so that if we miss a skill I don't break down and have a panic attack... which was pretty much what was happening before! :P

Every fibre in my being is still telling me to drop out (the competition is in 2 days time) but we are going to force ourselves to do it, to prove that we can and to hopefully kick our nerves in the butt.

I'll let you all know how it goes. Hopefully the deep breathing and visualisation helps.
If not... I believe that BowCat is performing directly after us, so they will be so amazing everyone will forget about our routine if it is a total train wreck :D

 

[Angelica]

I eat lol

I only stress really if warm ups doesn't go smoothly, but music helps! Our coaches always gave the most motivating speeches right before we performed that always helped with nerves

 

[Aussiekat]

auscheerflyer Breathe and believe. The worst moment you have on the comp floor will never ever beat your best moment. I hope you stick it out long enough to experience the highs because it IS worth it, and competing with just two of you on the mat (and spots!) is like nothing else in the world.

 

[auscheerflyer]

thanks BowCat. despite us both coming to terms (almost) with our extreme cases of nerves, unfortunately my base injured his arm, and we're now unable to compete
:( i am absolutely gutted because we have been preparing for MONTHS! but we had a private lesson on Friday night and he was in so much pain he couldn't even complete the 30 minute session :(
we will definitely still be going tomorrow to cheer yourself and everyone else on, but I'm sad that I won't be able to experience my first partner stunt comp.
our plan is for him to rest up for a couple of weeks hopefully enough for the injury to heal for states in September, fingers crossed!

 

[Aussiekat]

auscheerflyer I was wondering where you were! That sucks. But I hope you saw that everyone has nerves and the only way to deal with it is to just do it :) Hope your base heals for aascf states.

 

[auscheerflyer]

auscheerflyer I was wondering where you were! That sucks. But I hope you saw that everyone has nerves and the only way to deal with it is to just do it :) Hope your base heals for aascf states.

thanks, we were there to support everyone and the other partner stunt from our team came 1st so it was a bittersweet day.
by the way you guys were amazing - always so inspiring! :)

my base is on strict instructions to do no heavy lifting or stunting for 2 weeks, so fingers crossed he will be well enough for aascf states :) today was great motivation for us to get out on that mat!

Oh.... and PS you're level 1 youth (or teen?) team were amazing!! they were one of the cleanest level 1 routines i think i've ever seen

 

[kickdblcj]

I always try and remind myself that the only person that can beat me is myself. And that I love myself so why in the world would I want/let me beat myself. I know that I can do everything that is choreographed, so why worry. You have to remember that competing is something special. You wont always have people going crazy for you so enjoy it.

 

[coachbd]

I visualise the routine in my head multiple times before I go on, which helps me to calm beforehand, and once I am on I try to pretend that no-one else is there watching me! I just try and completely focus on myself/my stunt group and block everything out and that seems to help me!

Good luck for States! :)

 

[krystynakrez]

Focus on what you're doing when you're doing it. Like if you're in a routine and you're doing the first stunt, think about the first stunt and not about what you have to do in the next section.